Madame Bovary, Chapter 5 summary
Chapter 5 of 35 · Part 1 · 5 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 5, Emma settles into Charles’s house, changes its furnishings, and receives a carriage, while Charles finds intense happiness in their shared routines and her presence. His contentment contrasts with her disappointment: marriage does not bring the joy she expects, and she questions whether she truly feels love.
What happens
- The house combines domestic rooms with Charles’s consulting room, while the garden contains vegetables, flowers, a sundial, and a plaster priest.
- Emma notices the other woman’s bridal bouquet, and Charles removes it as she wonders about her own flowers after death.
- Emma changes the house and garden, and Charles buys her a secondhand dogcart because she enjoys driving.
- Charles delights in everyday married life and views his earlier experiences as unhappy beside his present contentment.
- His frequent kisses sometimes annoy Emma, who finds marriage disappointing and searches for the feelings described in books.
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What does Charles do when Emma notices the other woman’s bridal bouquet?
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